Maggette Making a Rapid Recovery

Clipper Coach Alvin Gentry watched small forward Corey Maggette shooting baskets an hour before Friday’s game against the Lakers and smiled.

“If you cut that guy open you’ll find wires and stuff inside him,” Gentry said of Maggette. “It’s looking good. He’ll probably play in another two weeks.”

That’s good news for the Clippers, who have been without Maggette since Feb. 22, when he went on the injured list because of two dislocated bones in his right hand. He also has had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

Maggette’s recovery from both injuries is progressing faster than expected. Gentry suggested recently that the Clippers might be forced to finish the season without Maggette, Lamar Odom and Keyon Dooling.

Odom has a sprained right wrist and ankle and Dooling has a sprained left ankle. Neither is close to returning to the lineup.

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As expected, the Clippers signed Tremaine Fowlkes for the rest of the season after the second of his 10-day contracts expired. Fowlkes has replaced Maggette as the team’s starting small forward. Maggette had replaced Odom.

“It definitely feels good,” said Fowlkes, who was playing with the Columbus (Ga.) Riverdragons of the National Basketball Development League when the Clippers signed him to a 10-day contract Feb. 23. “I knew I could play at the next level. It was a question of being in the right place at the right time.”

Fowlkes was averaging 5.2 points and four rebounds in nine games before Friday’s game against the Lakers.

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With the Clippers, Dallas and San Antonio ahead, it was a bad time to be down a power forward, so the Lakers activated Samaki Walker from the injured list, in time for Elton Brand, Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan.

“We could probably be one hair safer, waiting until Sunday,” Laker Coach Phil Jackson said. “But this is a good game [for him.]”

Jackson thought Walker, who started at center Friday, played decently against Brand in previous games. The Lakers go home-and-home against the Mavericks on Sunday and Tuesday, then play the Spurs on Wednesday.

Also, Jackson is convinced Robert Horry is fatiguing, despite Horry’s big rebounding numbers, 71 in his previous 10 games.

Asked about tiring, Horry said, “I’m not. At least I don’t feel like it.”

Walker, who started the season’s first 50 games, hyperextended his right elbow on Feb. 17 in Portland. He was averaging seven points and seven rebounds. Though there was some question if he would be activated Friday, Walker pressed medical personnel on the decision.

“I didn’t bring any dress clothes to sit on the bench,” he said, laughing.

Jelani McCoy returned to the injured list.

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The disquieting images from Thursday’s victory at Golden State might have been Danny Fortson, screaming profanities from the bench at Shaquille O’Neal as O’Neal put the game away from the free-throw line.

Fortson, in graphic language, questioned O’Neal’s manhood. Asked if anyone had called him that before, O’Neal smiled.

“And got away with it? Never,” he said. “But, you know, it’s playoff time. If it wasn’t ... “

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Lindsey Hunter, who has played in 271 consecutive games, and Rick Fox, who has played in 234 in a row, have the third and fourth longest active streaks in the NBA. Shandon Anderson (398) and John Stockton (342) rank first and second.

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CLIPPERS TONIGHT

vs. Seattle

7:30, Fox Sports Net 2

Site--Staples Center.

Radio--KXTA (1150).

Records--Clippers 34-32, SuperSonics 36-30.

Record vs. SuperSonics--1-1.

Update--The SuperSonics are struggling as they try to hold on to one of the last Western Conference playoff spots. They have lost three in a row, including Friday night at home against the Jordanless Washington Wizards. Vin Baker is on the injured list because of three dislocated toes on his left foot. Gary Payton is averaging 22 points a game.

Tickets--Sold out.

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Elliott Teaford and Tim Brown